103 Sermon Illustrations on Submission

A good pilot must have a healthy fear of gravity. This respect is not in the conscious mind of most pilots, but it forms the foundation of everything they do. When a headstrong pilot comes up against gravity, gravity will win-no matter how strongly the pilot opposes it. A pilot who does not respect gravity is not around to tell us about it. In a sense, this healthy respect of gravity is similar to our living in submission to God's sovereign will. Ultimately, whether or not we choose to accept it, God's will wins out.

If the barbarian ambassador came expressly to the Romans, to negotiate, on the part of his country, for permission to be their servants, declaring that a voluntary submission to a foreign power was preferable to a wild and disorderly freedom, well may the Christian triumph in the peace to be obtained by an unreserved submission to Him who is emphatically called the God of order.

A revival was progressing in a church, of which a certain Christian was an influential member. Severe illness prevented any active work. A friend calling mentioned the fact complainingly. The sufferer cheerfully replied, "My part is to lie here and cough."

A fond father, expecting the death of an infant son, was exhorted to submit to the divine will. He said, "I cannot give him up. I pray God to spare this child to me, whatever may be the consequences." The child was spared, but was a constant grief to his father, became a hardened wretch, and paid the penalty of his crimes upon the gallows.

Hay, an eminent English surgeon of high prospects, when injured apparently for life, said, "If it be the will of God that I should be confined to my sofa, and he command me to pick straws during the remainder of my life, I hope I shall feel no repugnance to his good pleasure."

When the brave man gives his shattered arm to the surgeon's knife, will may prevent even the quiver of an eyelid; but no will and no courage can reverse his sensations, or prevent the operation from inflicting pain. When the heart is raw, and smarting from recent bereavement, let there be the deepest and most reverential submission to the highest will, is it possible not to wince? Can any cant demand for submission extort the profession that pain is pleasure?

— F. W. Robertson

At the siege of Barcelona, a ball struck off the head of an officer's son, a fine young man of twenty years. The father, lifting his eyes from his headless child to heaven, only said, "Thy will be done."

"What occasions that melancholy look?" said a gentleman to one of his young favorites, one morning. He turned away his face, to hide a tear that was ready to start from his eyes. His brother answered for him, "Mother is very angry with him," said he, "because he would not say his prayers last night; and he cried all day, because a sparrow died of which he was very fond. The little mourner hastily turned round, and looking at me exclaimed, "I could not say thy will be done, because of my poor bird." The gentleman took him by the hand, and pointing to his school-fellows, "Mark the observation," said he, "from the youngest present, only six years old; for it explains the nature of prayer, of which, perhaps, some of you are ignorant. Many persons repeat words, who never prayed in their lives. My dear boy, I am very glad to find you were afraid to say to God what you could not say truly from your heart; but you may beg of him to give you submission to his will."

Mr. Hey, an eminent surgeon, early in the year 1774, received a stroke upon his thigh, which threatened the complete suspension of his professional labors. The remedies applied under his own directions, and those of his medical friends, proved altogether unserviceable; and it appeared in the highest degree probable to himself and them, that he would never regain the power of walking. He was the father of a large family, and was soon to be the parent of the eleventh child. He was in full business, and had the most reasonable prospect of distinction and emolument, as creditable to himself as advantageous to his family. Mr. Hey felt this afflictive dispensation of Divine Providence as every considerate man in similar circumstances would feel it—he was deeply affected by it; but his language and conduct were constantly expressive of the most humble submission, and meek acquiescence in the Divine will. To an intimate friend, who was lamenting the apparent consequences of a disorder which extinguished all his prospects of future usefulness, he replied, "If it be the will of God that I should be confined to my sofa, and he command me to pick straws during the remainder of my life, I hope I should feel no repugnance to his good pleasure."

There was a good woman, who, when she was ill, being asked, whether she was willing to live or die, answered, "Which God pleaseth." "But," said one standing by, "if God should refer it to you, whether would you choose?"

"Truly," said she, "if God should refer it to me, I would even refer it to him again."

During the siege of Barcelona, in 1705, Captain Carleton witnessed the following affecting fact, which he tells us in his memoirs:—"I saw an old officer, having his only son with him, a fine man about twenty years of age, going into their tent to dine. Whilst they were at dinner, a shot took off the head of the son. The father immediately rose up, and first looking down upon his headless child, and then lifting up his eyes to heaven, while the tears ran down his cheeks, only said, 'Thy will be done.'"

410. Submission, Want of.

When Rollo, the Dane, made his treaty with Charles the Simple, of France, by which he became a Christian and won Giselle, a daughter of Charles, for his wife, one of the ceremonies to be performed was to do homage. This was to kneel, clasp hands with the king, and kiss his foot, which was covered with an elegantly-fashioned slipper on such occasions--all in token of submission. But the proud Rollo did all save kissing the foot. No remonstrance, urgency or persuasion could induce him to consent to it.

On the slipper which the pope of Rome for hundreds of years has worn on certain state occasions, and which the kneeling suppliant kisses, is embroidered a cross, the sacred symbol of the divine Redeemer’s sufferings and death. (Text.)

But true homage is not ceremony, it is the attitude of the soul toward one who is greater.

John Everingham is an Australian photo-journalist. As he immersed himself in the savagery of his ancestor Matthew's times (he was a convict banished to Australia) it brought back his own experiences of man's readiness to justify violence against others. Matthew lived at the whim of brutal guards, ready to administer punishment - including execution - on minor pretext. His experience was war, but he understands well the convict's sense that one's life is completely at the mercy of someone who would take great pleasure in the killing.

The first time he was held captive was February of 1972. The Vietnam War had spilled full-blown into neighboring Laos. He was there photographing U.S. bomb damage when Communist militia forces took him prisoner. They knew nothing of Australians or photo-journalists; to them he was an American "professional bomb dropper." He was cursed at, spit upon, and marched mile upon mile with a carbine pressed into his back by a menacing guard - a nervous boy of perhaps 12 years. The boy's hatred was obvious; so too was his eagerness to make his first kill. Everingham survived captivity for a month, that time, by allowing a quiet submission to overtake him. His ancestor, he is sure, survived seven years with the same calculated submission of spirit.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has rocky relationship with Maria Shriver. He acts like a tyrant, showing her how to wash dishes and demanding meals when he wants them. When she replied, jokingly, "Make it yourself," he said, "Don't ever talk back to me again! You are my wife and I want breakfast now!" A guest was present.

The captain of the ship looked into the dark night and saw faint lights in the distance. Immediately he told his signal man to send a message: "Alter your course 10 degrees south."

Promptly a return message was received: "Alter your course 10 degrees north."

The captain was angered; his command had been ignored. So he sent a second message: "Alter your course 10 degrees south - I am the captain!"

Soon another message was received: "Alter your course 10 degrees north - I am seaman third class Jones."

Immediately the captain sent a third message, knowing the fear it would evoke: "Alter your course 10 degrees south - I am a battleship."

Then the reply came: "Alter your course 10 degrees north - I am a lighthouse."

In the midst of our dark foggy times, all sorts of voices are shouting orders into the night, telling us what to do, how to adjust our lives. Out of the darkness, one voice signals something quite opposite to the rest - something almost absurd. But the voice happens to be the Light of the World, and we ignore it at our peril.

#2072

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Here is a more recent version submitted by Sgt. Ross Corbett. It is interesting how an old illustration becomes transformed into a modern "historical" event; probably the illustration was passed among sailors and someone didn't realize it was just a story (Holwick):

This is the actual radio conversation of a U.S. naval ship with Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October 1995. Radio conversation released by the chief of naval operations, 10-10-95.

CANADIANS: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid a collision.

AMERICANS: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the north to avoid a collision.

CANADIANS: Negative. You will have to divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid a collision.

AMERICANS: This is the captain of a U.S. Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course.

CANADIANS: No, I say again, you divert YOUR course.

AMERICANS: This is the Aircraft Carrier U.S. LINCOLN, the second largest ship in the United States Atlantic Fleet. We are accompanied with three Destroyers, three Cruisers and numerous support vessels. I DEMAND that you change your course 15 degrees north. I say again, that's one-five degrees north, or counter-measures will be undertaken to ensure the safety of this ship.

CANADIANS: This is a lighthouse. Your call.

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Women are different, but many gender roles are not from Bible.

I. Equal but different.

A. Hard for us to think in these terms.

B. Differences lie deeper than our social conditioning.

1) Only women can give birth.

C. The Bible speaks of women as nurturing, but also with careers.

1) Lydia, Priscilla, Prov 31 woman.

2) Jesus did not define a woman's place as in the kitchen.

D. Feminist: "Someone who believes women are human." (Alan Alda)

II. "Woman in the home" is a modern adaptation.

A. Years ago, whole family worked out of the home.

#2511

B. Past assessments have often been warped. [this issue?]

1) In 1830's, higher education was seen as a threat.

2) In 1920's, voting was seen as dangerous.

"The new woman has cast the church aside, because it

teaches subordination of the wife to the husband.

The church also encourages domestic duties from which

the 'taste' of the new woman revolts.

The new woman hates children, and is madly exerting her

ingenuity in frustrating the intent of marriage."

LUTHERAN WITNESS, 1898

3) Current standards are often read into Bible.

Archbishop William Tempte on worship:

Worship is...

submission of our nature to God.

quickening our consciousness by God's holiness.

nourishing our minds on God's truth.

purifying our imagination by God's beauty.

opening our hearts to God's love.

surrendering our wills to God's service.

#3235

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Sermon in 1 Peter series. Government and Authority. 1 Peter 2:13-17

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TRUST AUTHORITY

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I. Are cops our friends?

A. Some see government as an enemy.

B. Others see government as something to be manipulated.

C. Two unpopular themes.

II. Authority - established by God. 2:13

A. We are created to need structure.

B. Some authorities are higher than others.

C. Responsibilities of authority.

III. Submission.

A. For Lord's sake.

B. Duties of a Christian citizen. (Jonathan Edwards)

C. Conflicts of authority.

IV. Born-again free. 2:16

A. Living free.

B. Freedom not a cover-up for evil.

V. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. 2:17

#4098

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Interview with Lori Hansen, a plastic surgeon who specializes in abuse cases:

What would you say to others impatient about finding a spouse?

If I were counseling myself, I'd say, Lori, if you really trust the Lord, why are you frantically asking your girlfriends to set you up with somebody? The irony is, with all the fretting and manipulating I did, I could never have brought Wes into my life. If I had to do it over again, I'd tell myself to cool it, then recount all the phenomenal ways God had been faithful in the past. For example, he helped my practice grow during a bad economy when elective surgery wasn't a priority. For probably two years after I set up practice, there were times of bills and no money. I had to say, Lord, it's yours, and I trust you. I've tried to be a good steward, but his faithfulness has built my faith more than anything.

You can say that even after going through miscarriages?

They were terribly hard, but the one thing I clung to was what Mary said in Luke 1:38: "I am the Lord's servant." If God wants me to have a child, wonderful. But if not, I'll do as he asks. What's neat, though, is that the very Christmas I would have given birth to our first baby, we met Derrick. Wes had signed us up for a local care/share program to give gifts to kids who wouldn't otherwise get Christmas presents. Derrick was assigned to us, so we invited him and his single mom over for Christmas dinner. We gave Derrick his presents, and he and Wes got along well. They started spending time together, then more and more. Now Derrick's living with us almost full time. We plan to adopt him and share custody with his mom.

Derrick and his mother didn't know the Lord when we met them, but about a year after he'd met us, Derrick accepted Christ. Then last year, after seeing all the changes in Derrick, his mom accepted Christ. What a gift -- to see how you can make a difference in one person, then he or she makes a difference in someone else!

Those who serve in ministry have a tendency to "lose the awe and wonder of the very one we serve," said Ron Owens at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

He and his wife, Patricia, led students, staff and faculty in chapel through musical expressions of worship to God as sovereign Lord of eternity, creation and redemption.

Owens serves as an associate for spiritual awakening at the North American Mission Board and recently authored "Return to Worship."

"Why is it that the more we know about God's creation the less in awe we are of the Creator?" he asked in an appeal to study the glory of God in creation.

"When our people come to church on Sunday morning they have come to this sovereign God who sits on the throne who made all of this," Owens reminded. Those who come "from the drudgery of defeated lives" should be led to worship the God who made them and cares for them, he said. Instead, they often "get a little emotional high and go out to live life in the same way they have before."

But worship must continue beyond an acknowledgment of who God is, Owens said, by moving toward submission.

"I don't care how good we sound. It doesn't matter what we do outwardly," Owens said, insisting on a further response of submitting to God's leadership "when we leave here and live our life out there all week long."

Christians must also abdicate their rights after submitting to God, Owens continued. Those who insist on retaining their rights often force churches to split and families to break up, he said. "My rights! Whose rights? God has bought me outright that his glory might be known."

Drawing from the description of the prophet in Isaiah 6, Owens said, "The immediate response of a worshiping heart and one who has encountered God is, 'Here am I am, send me.'"

Owens criticized a misplaced emphasis on celebration, stating, "We end up doing more celebrating than worship." While the Psalms provide many examples of celebration, he warned, "We've gotten to the point that we just celebrate and the lost person can come into our meetings and leave feeling good about himself and want to come back because he's been lifted by the music. I don't believe a lost person can ever enjoy true worship."

Instead, he said, corporate worship culminates in the surrendering of lives in service to the One who is worthy of worship. "When we get back to being a worshiping people I believe we'll see the Holy Spirit doing things even in the middle of our worship services that we've not seen before."

Too many ministers see themselves as helping God, Owens said, as if God needs a support system. "We need to get back to what we need to do and be. One who thinks he has worshiped, but is not willing to serve, has no worship to offer God that he will accept."

Owens directed the chapel audience to the New Testament pattern of Romans 12:1 as the worshiper becomes the worship offering. "The offering God is looking for is you and me on the altar."

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A newly retired couple cashed in their stocks and bonds to purchase

one of the finest motor homes available on the market. One of the

great features was the cruise control. As they were traveling up the

West Coast, the husband became tired and asked his wife to drive while

he went in the back to take a nap. As she was driving she put the

camper on cruise control and it worked perfectly. After an hour of

straight highway driving she got up to go to the bathroom. She thought

cruise control was the same as automatic pilot, she told the Highway

Patrol after the accident. The motor home was totaled in the

accident, but neither partner was hurt. It is not only a true story,

it is an illustration of many Christians who have put their lives on

cruise control and are not in worship, prayer or Bible study.

See: \reference{Psa 5:3}{Psalms 5:3}; \reference{Dan 6:10}{Daniel

6:10}

An interesting thing about flight in outer space is that you must

"slow down in order to catch up." If two satellites, or spacecraft,

desire to rendezvous, the one that is making an approach cannot

accelerate, it must decelerate. If it increases its speed, the craft

goes into a higher orbit, but if it decreases its speed, it will drop

into a lower orbit and actually gain on the craft ahead of it. Most

rendezvous are designed so that the approaching craft comes in from a

higher orbit and "slows down, in order to catch up." As a result, it

drops into place by decelerating. In a sense this is how we best

discover God's will for our own life. If we struggle spiritually and

emotionally to please God, we only make it hard on ourselves and will

probably move further away from God's perfect will. The best way to

serve God is to submit our lives to his control. The more we yield

ourselves to his power, the more power is available to use for

service. It's a case of "If you lose, you win; if you give in, you

won't give out."

Ah, to be your instrument, O God, like Paul to the Gentiles, like Philip to the eunuch, like Jesus to the world, ... to be your instrument. To be like a scalpel in the gentle hands of a surgeon, healing and mending. To be like a plow in the weathered hands of a farmer, sowing and tending. To be like a scythe in the sweeping hands of a reaper, gathering and using. To be ... an instrument for noble purposes. To be honed and tuned, in sync with your will, sensitive to your touch. This, my God, is my prayer. Draw me from your fire, form me on your anvil, shape me with your hands, and let me be your tool.

-- Max Lucado

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The "Worst" Restaurant

Read: Colossians 2:16-23

Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility. --Colossians 2:18

Some years ago I read about the "Worst Food In Oregon" restaurant. The owners said they served the "worst food you ever ate, and the service is even worse."

Actually, the food was good, diners were served generous portions, and the prices were reasonable. The name was just a clever gimmick. It was the idea of the owner, who figured he might get more attention by calling his food "the worst."

His strategy worked. Customers who came the first time out of curiosity soon came back for more.

This creative business tactic reminds me of religious practice described by the apostle Paul in the second chapter of his letter to the Colossians. He warned his readers not to be deceived by false teachers who appeared to be very religious and very humble but who were really satisfying their own desires by calling attention to themselves. Such persons go to great lengths to advertise their unworthiness. Yet, from God's point of view, their actions are merely a coverup for pride and self-promotion.

Let's make sure that our humility and self-denial are motivated by submission to Christ rather than a self-made strategy for personal profit. --MRDII

When all is done, renounce your pride,

Self-praise and boasting scorn;

So shall you glorify the Lord

And thus Christ's name adorn. --Hallan

You can't glorify self and Christ at the same time. Does God Forget?

Bless the Lord,

who reigns in beauty;

Bless the Lord,

who reigns in wisdom and with pow'r;

Bless the Lord,

who reigns my life with so much love;

He can make

a perfect heart.

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